Eyes Open
by The-Despondent-Insomniac
Summary: Sometimes it doesn't take tragedy to tear a family apart, sometimes all it takes is a mothers good intentions. ***JALEX***


**Okay, so this fic is a JALEX, just in case any of you missed that in the summary. If you don't like incest, then I strongly suggest you don't read this fic. It's pretty tame on the most part, but the concept alone may be enough to freak you out. If so, turn back now. Thank you :D**

**As for everyone else, I hope you all enjoy this fic. I apologise if it isn't any good, it's my first in this category and is extremely rambly. I was in a writing mood however and this is what came out :) I haven't had the time or the inclination to edit it yet either, so I'm confidant there are A LOT of mistakes to it :S**

**I hope you'll all enjoy (despite the poor quality :P ) and please, feel free to leave a review :D**

**xoxox**

* * *

Her children had always been comfortable around each other when they were younger. By the time Alex was three, she'd lost count of the number of times she'd walked upstairs to tuck her young children into bed, only to find them cuddled up together sound asleep; Justin's arms cradling his baby sister protectively to him. She had found it adorable at the time and often called Jerry to come watch them sleep with her. Then Max was born, and neither of them showed any real interest in their baby brother, preferring to play with one another like they always had before he was born. The books all told her it was normal, that it was their way of adjusting to the change, so she ignored it and smilingly encouraged Alex every time she took more than a second glance at the new baby.

Justin was slightly more attentive, gently pulling Alex's fingers away whenever she decided that poking Max was a good idea, while carefully smoothing the baby's puckered forehead back down. Still, neither of them paid him nearly as much attention in his first two years that they paid on another in a day.

She convinced herself it was normal, that they would treat him more like they did one another when he began to talk and walk and could interact with them better. It never happened.

They continued to stick together like glue; Alex somehow always managing to find her way into Justin's bed throughout the night and Justin always being the first one she ran to whenever she scraped her knee or had her pigtails pulled, rather than her own mother.

The first time she saw them kiss, was when Alex was five. It was at her birthday party and Gertrude (a child from Alex's pre-school) has stolen her piece of birthday cake. Before the tears that had been filling Alex's eyes had even began to fall, Justin had jumped up from the table, his eyes burning with the indignation that only a seven year old big brother could muster, and stormed over to the little girl. Grabbing the cake from her, he smoothly upended it right onto her head; leaving her crying hysterically and Alex laughing and clapping her hands in delight. Grinning as he sat back down beside his sister, Justin had happily pushed his own plate over to her and watched her as she dug in.

She left half of it behind for Justin.

Later that evening, once all the guests had gone home and Justin had been scolded for his behaviour she walked slowly up the stairs carrying a sleeping Max. As she passed the door to Alex's room, she heard the usual murmur of their voices as they played games under a "tent" on the floor. After tucking Max in, she returned to the room to send Justin to bed and found herself face to face with her two children kissing. She stood still and simply watched them, not finding it all that strange at the time. It was just Alex saying thank you to her brother she was sure. They pulled apart mere seconds later, Alex grinning at Justin and Justin smiling sheepishly back before pulling her into a hug. When she stepped into the room, they turned towards her mother innocently and ran forward to hug her too; trying to convince her to play in their tent with them.

It was no surprise when she found them both asleep in it the next morning; curled in each other's arms and smiling slightly in their childish sleep.

It continued until Alex was seven; sudden kisses out of the blue, pecks on the lips whenever Justin did something for his sister or vice versa, constant hugs that lasted for hours, crawling into one another's bed during the night, holding hands happily as they wandered around the house. It wasn't until another mother made a passing comment one day that Teresa realised it wasn't seen as normal anymore for her children to be so close.

She had never thought anything of it before, it was just how her eldest two children acted towards one another- how they had always acted. She couldn't really envision them being any other way now. She found it a little disappointing that they didn't extend the same devotion to their younger brother, but again, it was how it had always been. She hadn't seen any way or reason to change it.

But her children were growing up, both in elementary school now. They should be socialising more, and making new friends rather than clinging solely to each other as they seemed to do.

She sat them down that night and explained to them that it had to stop. Alex cried, and didn't understand. Justin looked at her sadly and reached for Alex's hand. He stopped halfway and grabbed a throw pillow instead. As Justin's spine straightened and he forced himself to remain rigid on the sofa, Alex's eyes hardened slightly and she dug her nails into her knees; looking defiantly at her mother as tears continued to drip from her eyes. Teresa hated herself at that moment. But it was for the best, for everyone.

A month later, their wizarding powers showed up and Teresa had to fight off the feeling of foreboding that crept along her spine.

Justin threw himself into the theory of his magic studies, closing his door for hours to pour over dusty old tomes and refusing to let anyone inside. Even Alex.

Alex tossed caution to the wind when she realised what she could do and pounced at every opportunity to cause chaos with her new powers. Teresa knew it was payback for taking her away from Justin.

Justin learned how to control his magic and practiced it discreetly within the lair. Alex didn't need the control; her magic seemed to bend to her every whim. Especially when it was focussed on getting Justin's attention.

Justin took his mothers words to heart and tried his hardest to stay away from his sister. Alex glared at Teresa every time he moved when she tried to hug him. Her sobs could be heard echoing around her room at night, coupled by random flashes of light from under her door as her magic rebelled.

Things began to settle down after a year. Justin remained studious and Alex remained troublesome. But they stayed away from each other physically, and for that at least Teresa was thankful.

Alex came home from school one day with cut, choppy hair and permanent marker tattoos. Justin shouted at her and she ran upstairs crying.

Hours later, Teresa found them curled up in Alex's bed; Justin holding his sister tightly as she sobbed shakily in his arms. It was the first time since the talk she had seen them this close. She let it go, figuring it couldn't hurt when Alex was so upset. Justin caught sight of her through the open doorway as she stood watching them and looked at her accusingly. The door slammed shut in her face without either of her children moving to close it.

A week later, they were back to being silent strangers where they had once been best friends.

She felt guilty for the struggle her children were going through, but it was for the best. She was sure of it.

Justin began to criticise Alex more and more. It started with little things, and grew until her was almost picking on her in an attempt to keep his distance. Alex responded by calling him names and pulling pranks on him. Some innocent, some almost vicious.

And eventually, that too became normal in the Russo household. Teresa watched it all unfold with sad eyes and secretly wished she could have her children back. It was for the best though.

She saw the hurt in Justin's eyes though, every time Alex made fun of him and she saw the poorly masked tears in Alex's whenever Justin once again began to criticise or yell at her.

By the time Max got his powers then Alex was ten, she could barely remember when her children didn't fight like cat and dog.

There were a few times that reminded her though, a few far spaced incidents that reminded her that her children had once been completely devoted to one another. They occurred rarely, but they were still enough to jolt her back in time to when Alex was five and wore pretty dresses and Justin would happily take a scolding to cheer her up.

The only times she ever sees those children again, is when Alex has somehow manages to cause another catastrophe and Justin is forced to fix it for her. It is only when Alex's eyes are filled with pleading tears and Justin's face begins to soften from its hardened seriousness that she sees the children they once were, peeking though. It is in Alex's eyes as she watches her brother fixing her mistakes; a kind of adoration mixed with delight and a small amount of childish wonder- left over from when she didn't have to make a mess to gain his attention. It is in Justin's eyes too, the same took of devotion he had when he was younger mixed with protectiveness and a little wonder. Teresa feels guilty every time she sees it. But she knows she made the right decision.

It isn't until Alex is thirteen and comes home from school after her first break up that she understands that her children are always going to need each other. Alex runs straight to Justin- ignoring her concerned questions- and flings herself into his arms. He catches her automatically and instinctively pulls her to him, a fiercely protective look coming over his face. More even, than they need her. Justin carries her silently over to the couch and gently kisses her hair as she curls up in his lap- slightly calmer already. She sighs resignedly, and turns her attention to whatever it is that Max, is rambling about. At least he has always been hers.

Alex's almost incoherent sobbing when she accidentally turns Justin invisible and the way they cling to each other after it has been undone- away from the rest of the family- makes her eyes burn and her heart hurt. With guilt, or unease she isn't sure.

When Alex is nearly fifteen and Justin turns Professor Crumbs into a guinea pig to save her, Teresa's heart breaks a little and she knows it's only a matter of time. When he explains to Alex that he doesn't want his powers if she doesn't have hers, Alex's smile almost literally lights up the room as she throws herself into her brother's arms. That night, for the first time in six years, she finds her children asleep together; curled around one another like they were still children on the living room sofa. She thinks back on all the times Alex has gotten into trouble over the past few years (that she know about) and is sure this is almost like tradition now: a way to reassure themselves that they did still love one another- despite everything.

By the time the trip to the Caribbean comes around, things are as bad as they've ever been between the two. It's her fault again she knows, she repeated her talk to Justin after Alex's Quinceanera about keeping some distance between the two now that Alex is growing up. She knew he would listen to her more than Alex would. She knows it's hurting them, but she's willing to do anything to delay the inevitable. Even if it means damaging their relationship slightly. It'd be better for everyone in the long run.

They've only been there for three days and already her children are tearing one another apart. She feels regret at what she's has chosen to do, but better this than the alternative she thinks. They're sharing a room, and she doesn't think that's such a good idea, but Jerry insisted they couldn't afford a bigger apartment. Still, she'd rather Alex was on the camp bed in the living room. But Max had taken that, and Alex flat out refused to move from the room by the time she convinced him to switch. She gives in when she sees the giant Japanese screen Alex has somehow conjured up and pulled around her bed. From Justin's yelling, she guesses she stole his wand to do it and ignores the fact she had forbidden magic on this trip.

When Alex begins to scream at her about the party, Teresa realises just how much resentment her little girl has built up inside her over the years. All of it aimed right at her. She stumbles in her argument when she realises it and tried to reason with her daughter. This is not just about the party. As Alex's eyes flash dangerously and her years of pent up anger at her begin to pour out of her mouth, Teresa closes her eyes tightly for a moment and for the first time, truly sees the damage she has done to her daughter. Her baby didn't deserve it, any of what had happened to her over the years. She couldn't help it, anymore than Teresa could help wanting to save her children from themselves. She doesn't open her eyes, but she can feel the rush of magic as it fills the room and sweeps over her; her daughter's angry screams are drowned out and everything is suddenly blank.

Alex is hugging her. It's the first thing she realised as her mind clears. She remembers coming to apologise to her daughter, feeling sudden compassion for her rebellious baby and wanting to make her feel better. But she also remembers shouting at her, but that's hazy. She knows magic has been involved somehow, she can just feel it, but somehow she can't bring herself to care because Alex is hugging her. Her daughter never hugs her, not unless she has to or feels she should.

As she pulls back to look Alex in the face, she can't help but feel her heart both lift and sink at the same time. Her daughters face is alive in a way it hasn't been in years. She looks genuinely happy. It has been so long since Teresa saw the expression on her face that she had forgotten it was even truly missing. And she _knows_, instinctively that something has happened, that something has changed.

It isn't until she hears Justin's voice from outside, calling his sisters name that she realises what it is. The way Alex's eyes light up and she literally sprints from the room, screaming his name joyously as she goes, confirms it. She sighs quietly, but can't quite seem to muster up the will to tear them apart again as she wanders outside. When she sees Alex running across the sand towards Justin, smiling more brightly than the sun she can't help the slight lift of her lips. When she sees Justin's answering grin and the way he laughingly lifts Alex into the air while hugging her tightly, it grows into a small, genuine smile. The way they both smile happily and freely at her as they sling their arms around one another is all she needs to finally just let go and accept that her two eldest children can't be without each other.

She can't help wishing things were different, but all it takes for her to sigh and accept it all over again is one look at their faces, smiling, happy, and open. They look at one another freely again, and although she doesn't like it, she's tired of being the one to cause them pain, tired of seeing Alex's face crumple when Justin hurts her, tired of seeing Justin's eyes darken and his face close off whenever Alex insults him. She's tired of her children being broken.

It doesn't surprise her when she walks into Alex's room one morning a month later and finds Justin asleep beside his sister. She stops for a moment and stares before backing out of the room with a sigh and closing the door behind her. Jerry doesn't need to see that just yet.

It shocks her a little when she walks in on them kissing a few weeks later; Justin has Alex pressed up against the wall of the lair, one of their hands are intertwined at their sides, Justin's other hand is cupping Alex's jaw while hers is buried in his hair; fisting it gently as she pulls him in closer to her by wrapping one of her legs around his. She feels slightly nauseated at the sight and stumbles from the room. They don't even notice her.

Six months later, they are standing in front of her and Jerry, announcing their feelings. She can't help but wish things were different, but she knows that by some cruel twist of fate her children were made for each other. Jerry takes it surprisingly well, although she isn't sure the heart pills the doctor recommended are quite strong enough anymore. Max doesn't really care, he just shrugs as though it was nothing new and maybe to him, it wasn't. Her oldest children grip each other's hands tightly and look at her with cautious, expectant eyes. She knows her answer will make or break her family. If she tells them what she has been for the past ten years, she knows they will leave. Justin has an acceptance to Columbia; Alex will happily go with him. If she tells them that she accepts them, her family will adjust. After all, what's one more secret in the Russo household?

She made her decision in the Caribbean, and she sticks to it now.

It's wrong, and it's kind of twisted and she doubts any of her children's friends will ever understand if they find out. She knows her mother certainly won't. But she doesn't care anymore. Her children's happiness is more important than any of that. All she has to remember is that they are finally complete. She doesn't care what anyone else will say now. They haven't watched as for years as she forced herself to break her children's hearts, they haven't wished she could comfort her daughter when she heard her crying at night but knew the only arms she wanted, were the ones she was forbidden to have. They haven't watched her children slowly shatter since they were seven years old, over and over again and have the only one who could put them back together be the reason they were broken in the first place.

They haven't seen the damage that has been done by her over the years. She's just glad now that it's not too late to fix it.

So Teresa smiles at her children, a little tightly sure- but genuine all the same- and opens her arms to them silently. They rush forward to hug her and all she can see are her two babies who used to build tents from towels finally coming alive again.


End file.
